Anybody have any recommendations for these? This pain is really starting to wear on me. Price ranges from $20 to $100 for the insoles so thought I'd ask you guys first. Doing all the recommended stretches and pain easing techniques. So far not too much luck.

ProFoot plantar fasciitis heel inserts are very effective for me. I wear them in most of my running shoes and my everyday work shoes. They cost like $8 on Amazon for a pair of them. One size fits all (size 8-13). They have helped me a lot for about 3 years now.

I've also used a strassburg sock. Can be helpful too.

I get power step inserts from my podiatrist. It's taken a while but they have helped me a lot.

I'll give those a try

For someone who's never been, what exactly will a podiatrist do for that problem?

PowerSteps changed my life. I had terrible PF pain while walking and couldn't even think about a run. Podiatrist prescribed PowerSteps. I held on to the script for about two months because I just could not believe inserts would help. I finally returned to podiatrist after dealing with pain for two more months and he told me not to bother coming back to him with PF pain if I wasn't willing to try his suggestion.

I bought a single pair and wore them for a week. They completely solved my PF pain. I now have a pair for every set of shoes/boots. The key for me was arch support. Once my arches had full support, the foot pain went away.

Rockdoc said:

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For someone who's never been, what exactly will a podiatrist do for that problem?

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He could've done several things. Cortisone shots in the foot or surgery. He thinks my pain was caused by a pronation problem, so, I went the inserts route. Takes longer but it is working. He put a 2 degree heel insert in my insoles to straighten me out and I can tell a difference in the way I walk.

I see you can buy powerstep insoles on Amazon. Surely these can't be the ones you guys are talking about??

Rockdoc said:

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I see you can buy powerstep insoles on Amazon. Surely these can't be the ones you guys are talking about??

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No. Mine are prescription only. They are called Powerstep Pro tech Custom post. They come different heel inserts you can clip ranging from 6 degrees to 0 degrees.

Make sense. Thanks.

The first pair was a prescription. The other pairs I have bought at retail shops like a Run-On. They work just as well for me.

Start with an over-the-counter device first before deciding going to a custom one. I make custom orthotics and almost always have my patients try a over-the-counter device first before deciding on a custom one.

Yeah I ordered the regular powerstep insert from Amazon because it was fairly cheap. I'm not anticipating too much because I'm bought the dr scholls and it doesn't make much difference in the pain.

Powersteps are all over the counter. They are not custom inserts. Can also consider superfeet (typically recommend the orange color but you can go and try the different ones at any running store or dicks/academy). Dr. Scholls are comfortable because they are soft but they aren't giving you the arch support that you need to treat your plantar fasciitis.

Stretching is the most beneficial thing that you can do. The more that you can stretch the better (10x a day even). Ensure that you are stretching your soleus as well as your gastroc. Frozen water bottle at night to massage the bottom of your foot and help reduce the inflammation.

Never walk barefoot. Not even around the house. Get a pair of crocs or some supportive flip flop to wear around the house if you prefer not to wear your running shoes or shoes with the inserts.

AzAg13 said:

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Never walk barefoot. Not even around the house. Get a pair of crocs or some supportive flip flop to wear around the house if you prefer not to wear your running shoes or shoes with the inserts.

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Great advice here. I've had only mild PF symptoms but chronic ball of foot pain, and wear Oofos at home (learned about these on an old thread...thanks H&F board). Others I've talked to have had less success with Oofos, but they've been great for me.

I would highly recommend foot strengthening exercises. The thing that actually helped me recover within weeks was starting to run in five fingers. Stretching and strengthening and trying OTC insoles for 6 months prior didn't help.

I can post some videos of foot intrinsic exercises that could be helpful.

That would be appreciated.

Stretch and run your thumb over your tendon while pulling your big toe back. OMG, so painful, but you have to suck it up and do it.

FWIW - have you seen a podiatrist? I have one and last year my PF flared up real bad. I got the heel injection which worked like magic. But he said for me, I didn't need any kinds of inserts. I was running with inserts because Fort Worth Running company said I needed them - and my doctor said the inserts probably caused my PF to flare up.

I switched to different shoes (Brooks Glycerins) and adopted a regimen of stretching and rolling and haven't had any issues in over a year.

These are some videos I made working at my old clinic. Once I have time, I will have some up for my business. Let me know if you have questions and I would be glad to help.

If you can add in some deep calf stretching that is usually helpful. You may even want to do some hamstring stretching as well to really work that whole back line.

I have treated hundreds of people with PF. No two cases are the same and it is a tricky one honestly.

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Thanks for the links. I'll watch them later. My father-in-law passed away last night rather suddenly.

RockDoc,

I am so sorry to hear that.

Finally got a pair of the Powerstep originals (level 3) and they seem to be much better than the Dr Scholls I have been using. Time will tell. I'm wondering if I should go ahead and get a pair of the Pinnacles (level 4). They won't go to waste as anything helps.

For me it was stretching, sleeping in a strassburg sock and NEVER EVER walk around the house in socks. Shoes are fine, barefoot is fine but never just socks.

Staying out of flip flops was another key for me. One hour of wearing flip flops and I wasnt able to walk for a week. Birkenstocks are fine.

Well your post scares me. I'm 68 years old and retired. I go to the gym 5 days a week and half of my workout every day is cardio so I can keep the weight off (I like to eat). Although I still do resistance and weight training, my cardio has stopped because of the pain. I need to get "over" this problem so I can get back to cardio work.

Have you tried taping your foot.
I had done every other non-invasive treatment I could find and was over a month "down and out" of a training program for NYC. The very idea of a jog was painful and I was about to have to face facts and withdraw. I tried taping and i was able to resume training (taped).

Incidentally, I have a theory that plantar fasciitis lead to the invention of triathlons. When the doc tells psycho endorphin-addict PF patient "have you tried swimming? You know you can cycle while waiting for the PF to get better?"

https://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/sport-injuries/foot/heel-pain/plantar-fasciitis

wbt5845 said:

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FWIW - have you seen a podiatrist? I have one and last year my PF flared up real bad. I got the heel injection which worked like magic. But he said for me, I didn't need any kinds of inserts. I was running with inserts because Fort Worth Running company said I needed them - and my doctor said the inserts probably caused my PF to flare up.

I switched to different shoes (Brooks Glycerins) and adopted a regimen of stretching and rolling and haven't had any issues in over a year.

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I totally second the injection. Works instantly.

Be careful cortisone injections and not to get too many. They can break down tissue if too many are given.

Well believe it or not, what's helped the most is increasing the stretching exercises to about 10 times a day. That's helped more than anything so I guess I'll keep that up forever.

Great to hear. Keep us updated to your progress.

aggiederelict said:

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Great to hear. Keep us updated to your progress.

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derelict - curious to hear your opinion on the "don't walk barefoot" comments. This seems counter-intuitive to me. In my non-medical/technical description, walking barefoot should actually strengthen the feet, and in the long run (no pun intended), do more to prevent PF. That said, if the feet are extremely week, it would need to be a slow build-up/transition to any long periods of walking barefoot. Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating for anyone to go start running marathons barefoot, but some amount of being barefoot should be a good thing, no?

I try to stay barefoot when I am working from home and have a few sets of minimalist shoes that I wear when it is too chilly to go barefoot.